Fruit-drier



No. 625,778. Patented May 30, I899.

C. J. KURTZ.

FRUITYDRIER.

(Application filed June 18, 189B.)

iNn Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITNESSES INVENTOR n m ls PEfcRs cc. PHOYO-LITHO wAsnmQToN n c No. 625,778. Paten ted May. 30,1899.

0. J. KURTZ. FRUIT DRIER.

(Application filed June 18, 1898.) {No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 625,778. Patented May 30, I899.

c. .1. KURTZ.

' FRUIT omen.

. (Application filed June 18, 1898.) (No Model.) a shaw -511mm;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON J. KURTZ, OF SALEM, OREGON.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,778, dated May 30,1899.

' Application filed June 18, 1898. Serial No. 688,795. (No model.)

ToctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON J. KURTZ, a resident of Salem, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Driers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to an improveme'ntin fruit-driers, the objects of the invention being to provide a drier that will be simple.in construction, cheap to manufacture, easily operated, neat in appearance, and most effectual when in use.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a View in vertical section. Fig. 3 is an edge view of three. trayholdersand their operating means and showbeyond thecasing 1.

ing two set-s of trays.

A represents a series of uprights or standards disposed in circular form and inclosed by a cylindrical casing 1. A series of horizontally disposed supports 2, connected at their center and having their respective ends rest on the uprights or standards A and the cylindrical casin g 1, extend outwardly over and A circular track 3 is secured on the upper face of the supports 2 at or near their outer ends and are adapted to receive a series of rollers or wheels 4, mounted in a frame 5. A ring 7 is provided on its lower face with a track 8, adapted to move on the wheels, and on its upper face said ring is provided with a rack 9, adapted to mesh with a gear-wheel 10, secured on a shaft 11, journaled at the top of a cylindrical casing 12, which incloses the drier. A sprocket-wheel 13 is secured on the outer end of the shaft 11, and over this wheel a sprocket-chain 14 passes, the latter being driven by asprocket-wheel 15, secured on a shaft 16, journaled in the outside casing at a point convenient-to be reached by the operator. A crank 17 is secured on the outer end of the shaft 16, whereby to turn the wheel 15. A series of braces or spokes 18 are secured to the inner edge of the rack-frame 7 and to a hub 19, mounted on pin 20, secured at the center of the framework. A series of brackets or hangers 21 22 depend at intervals-fromthe ring 7 and at .their lower ends serve to support a series of tray-holders B, which will now be described.

Each tray-holder B is provided withbrackets 23 23, in which a shaft 24 is journaled, said shaft having a right-hand Worm 25 at one end and a left-hand worm 26 at its other end. Worm-wheels 27 27 are journaled in said brackets 23 and are adapted to be turned in opposite directions by the said right and left hand worms 25 26. Sprocket-wheels 28 28 are mounted to rotate with the worm-wheels.

and are adapted to receive and operate sprocket-ch ains 29, which run" on idle sprocket wheels 30, revolubly connected to the bottom of the tray-holder. The sprocket-chains 29 '29 are provided with a series'of projections or supports'3l 31, arranged at intervals on each side of the chains 29 29, whereby to support the trays b and permit of their move ment up and down in said holder, as shown in Fig. 3 in dotted lines.

It will be understood thatany approved means may be employed in the bottom of the apparatus for heating the fruit, and I do not wish to limit myself to any particular means.

By means of the construction and arrange mentsof parts above set'forth the trays of fruit can be gradually raised or lowered in the holders and thus pass the same through all degrees of heat in the drier, according to the position of the trays.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Motion is transmitted to the wheel or ring 7 by means of the crank-arm 17and intermediate gearing, whereby to cause the various sets of trays to travel around within the inclosure 7 formed by the concentric shells or casings 1 to 12. As the various tray-holders reach the door of the casing some of the trays may be removed and new ones inserted. When a set of trays reach the door of the casing, one of the worm-shafts 24 will be turned by the op erator and one side of all the trays supported by the chains connected with said worm-shaft will be lowered. The rotation of the wheel or ring '7 will then be continued until the next tray-holder reaches the door of the casing, when the operator will turn the worm-shaft ring mounted thereon, of a series of hangers;

a series of tray-holders suspended from said 24 of that carrier or holder,and thus the other sides of the trays will be lowered until said trays assume a horizontal position. These operations will be continued, so as to gradually move the trays through various degrees of temperature within the apparatus, until the fruit on the trays shall have been properly: dried, at which time the trays containing the thoroughly-dried fruit will be removed and other trays containing fruit to be dried will be inserted into the carriers.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to limit myself to theprecise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a drying apparatus, the combination with a framework and a circular trackway fixed on .top of said framework, of a revoluble wheel or ring mounted on said trackway,

ring or wheel and means for rotating said ring or wheel, substantially as set' forth.

2. In a drying apparatus, the combination with a framework and a revoluble wheel or depending from said wheel or ring and a sevries of pairs of vertically-disposed chains sustained by said hangers, trays supported byi said chains, and means for independently opf erating each pair of chains, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with an annular dry-i ing-chamber, of a revoluble wheel or ring dis- .posed above said annular chamber, a series of tray-holders supported by said wheel or ring and dependinginto said annular drying-cham ber, substantially as set forth.

4. In a drying apparatus, the combination with an annular drying-chamber and acenbar and means for rotating said pinion, substantially as set forth.

5. In a drying apparatus, the combination with a framework, of ,a series of tray-holders consisting of several pairs of chains, each chain having lugs projecting in opposite direct-ions, each pair of chains removably sup porting one side of a vertical series of trays, and means for moving each pair of chains independently of the others whereby to raise or lower one side of a series of trays, substantially as set forth. I

' 6. In a fruit-drier, the combination with a frame,.of a circular track on said frame, a series of wheels journaled to run on said track, a ring provided on its lower face with abearing-face for said wheels and its upper face provided with a rack to engage and be turned by a gear-wheel, a series of braces pivoted to the frameat the center thereof are secured to the ring and adapted to hold the same in its proper position, and means for operating said gear-wheel to turn the ring and devices carried thereon.

7. In a fruit-drier, the combination with a frame, of a track on said frame, rollers or wheels on said track, a second track on said wheels or rollers, a series of tray-holders secured on said second track, means for operating said second track to turn the tray-holders and means for lowering and elevating the trays inthe holders.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLINTON J. KURTZ.

Witnesses:

D. O. SHERMAN, A. O. OoNDIT. 

